50 Selfish, Awesome, Obvious and Essential Reasons to Drink Water

Here’s some water drinking motivation for those of you who, like me, hate drinking water. I’m the type of person who needs to have a very obvious and immediate reason to do something, especially in regards to my health. None of that, “See results in just 12 weeks!” crap.

Simply saying “water is good for you” just doesn’t cut it with me. It it’s good for me, I need to know how, I need to know why, and I need to know right now or so help me I’m getting another cup of coffee.

So, to feed my insatiable love of lists, and to convince myself that water isn’t just the bland stuff you put in other stuff to make, I dunno, tea or whatever, I’ve compiled this “50 Reasons” post to hopefully motivate and inspire you to stay hydrated too! Enjoy!

1. If you don’t drink water, you will die.

2. You have to replenish the water you lose by sweating and going to the loo, or you will get dehydrated. Your body is made up of approximately 66% water. But can dip down a few points if you’re not careful.

3. Your major organs will fail if you don’t have ample water stores being transported throughout your body, at all times.

4. Your brain is thirsty. It’s made up of 75% water, and it can literally get dry and dehydrated if you don’t feed it.

5. Your bones need water. They are made up of 25% water, and without proper hydration they can get brittle and quit producing ample bone cells.

6. Water regulates the temperature in your body. Tired of being the only person in the room feeling overly hot or cold? Drink water.

7. It makes pooping fun. Without enough water in your waste, pooping isn’t fun. Hard stools can hurt, or be unsatisfying little rabbit pellet looking things. Gross.

8. Water leaves the stomach five minutes after consumption and parcels it out to your body according to need. Drank water over five minutes ago. Yeah, it’s gone now. So keep drinking! Your body has work to do.

9. Drinking water prevents chapped lips. When you drink water, your lips get moist from the inside out, and don’t get all cracked and skin-taggy as often.

10. Fluid losses occur continuously from evaporation. Yes, evaporation. The universe wants to suck you dry like that creepy water nabbing tool from Tank Girl. Don’t let the universe win! Drink water! Go! Drink drink drink!

11. You need water to pee. You should be peeing all the time. It’s mostly annoying, but it’s healthy. Or so I’m told.

12. Drinking water helps maintain the balance of your body fluids. When you drink water, it slowly filters to various parts of your body that need it. If you don’t drink enough, some body parts get left out.

13. You won’t have to be pricked a thousand times to get your blood drawn. It’s harder to find veins that are dehydrated because quite simply, they don’t have as much water in them as they should have for optimal health.

14. Your skin is the last organ in your body to receive the water you drink. To keep your skin naturally hydrated, you have to drink lots of water.

15. You need water for proper digestion. Some foods have water content, but you need even more to help your body do it’s job properly.

16. Your body needs water to create saliva. If your mouth is feeling dry, it means you’re already really dehydrated. Bad you! Bad!

17. Water can help control how many calories you eat, because it makes you feel full faster.

18. Drinking water helps your body to detoxify from the regular buildup of toxins it ends up accumulating.

19. Water helps energize muscles. Muscle cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids shrivel, which results in muscle fatigue.

20. Water helps your kidneys. Your kidneys have the job of cleansing and ridding your body of harmful substances, as long as your intake of fluids is adequate.

21. Your urine will look and smell funky if you don’t drink enough water.

22. You will get constipated without water.

23. You have a lesser chance of suffering tummy aches, because adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract.

24. Drinking water can prevent cancer. Research shows that staying hydrated can reduce risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50%, and possibly reduce breast cancer risk as well.

25. You’ll be less cranky. Research says dehydration can affect your mood and make you grumpy and confused.

26. It will make you happier. Research shows that people who make a point of staying hydrated are usually happier and healthier people than those who don’t regularly drink water.

27. Proper hydration contributes to increased athletic performance by preventing weakness, fatigue and dizziness.

28. It helps you lose weight. By optimizing your health and making you feel full, water is the biggest ingredient you can have in any weight loss routine.

29. You’ll have less joint pain. Drinking water can reduce pain in your joints by keeping the cartilage soft and hydrated.

30. Your eyeballs need water. Both to create tears and to keep your eyes from drying up. Severe dehydration has been known to cause temporary blindness.

31. Drinking water prevents (and treats) headaches. Most headaches are exacerbated by dehydration, so drinking water can prevent or alleviate that nasty head pain.

32. You need water to sweat. Sweat regulates body temperature, releases toxins and so on and so on.

33. Water tells the vitamins and minerals and nutrients in your food where to go. Water is essential for the proper circulation of nutrients in the body because it serves as the body’s transportation system.

34. It prevents cracked heels from occurring. Your feet have little to no sebaceous glands (the oil producing glands that make your skin hydrated), so they’re usually the first to get all cracked and fuggly when you’re dehydrated.

35. You hair needs water (from drinking, not just washing) or it will get dry and frizzy and split endsy. (Yes, I said split endsy.)

36. It prevents depression. Low levels of water in the brain can cause depression since optimal functioning of the brain is reduced when dehydrated.

37. You’ll have less acne. Drinking a glass of water in the morning has been shown to help reduce breakouts. It’s especially helpful if you add lemon or apple cider vinegar to the water.

38. You’ll get sick less. Since water helps to move things along, it stops bad bacteria from staying in the body, such as infections that could get you sick.

39. It will make you look thin. When the body is dehydrated, it compensates by retaining water, causing you to look bloated and puffy.

40. It will help you stay focused and alert. When your brain is dehydrated, it starts to shrivel (no, really) and the first to go is your focus and attention.

41. It works as a natural decongestant for stuffy noses. Hydrated mucous means loose boogers which mean less mouth breathing.

42. Without being properly hydrated, (this one is for the gals) you’ll have heavier periods and blood flow. Which makes for a horrible visit from Aunt Flo.

43. It will make you smarter. A study in London found a link between students bringing water into an exam room and better grades, suggesting H2O promotes clearer thinking.

44. Your blood cells need water to reproduce. No water = no new blood cells.

45. You need water to get your lymphatic system moving. The lymphatic system is a network of nodes, tubes, vessels, and fluid that move waste out of your tissues. It requires water to function properly.

46. Water regulates your metabolism, which has a direct effect on your weight. Want a weight loss boost? Drink water!

47. Water helps to ensure adequate electrical functioning in your brain. Researchers estimate that your brain gives off about the same amount of electricity as a 60 watt light bulb. And it needs water to work.

48. Drink water so your nervous system can function properly.

49. Your nails need water, or they will become dry and brittle and split easily.

50. Water alleviates dehydration. Duh.

Do you drink enough water? If not, are you going to? If you enjoyed this post, then check out my post on water filters, and which one I recommend you use!